Category: SSI

Tomorrow as part of Celebrate Pro Bono 2011, several attorneys will be speaking at a Disabilities Awareness Public Forum in Greenville, South Carolina.

The event is FREE and open to the public. We do have ASL Interpreters available for the event, but if you need additional accomodations, please contact Stephanie Gutzman at 864-235-0273 or by email at gutzman@pandasc.org.

I’m very proud to don this logo on the SC Access to Justice blog. For the past three years, the American Bar Association has hosted this powerful, national event highlighting the importance of pro bono legal services around the United States.

In South Carolina, we’re proud to highlight some of the work in our own backyard. Throughout the remainder of Celebrate Pro Bono 2011, you’ll be able to learn how South Carolina law students and practicing attorneys interpret pro bono legal services and put it into action.

Many thanks to the American Bar, probono.net and the thousands of attorneys and law students who are celebrating pro bono this week!

I was drawn to pro bono work, because I feel like everyone should give back in some way. I am a lawyer, and this is my way of helping.

What is your current pro bono service?

My current pro bono work includes serving as a guardian when called on in DSS cases. I have represented SSI claimants in the past though I have not done that in quite some time. I was first introduced to the pro bono program as a young lawyer. I volunteered for the Access to Justice Committee of the S.C. Bar many years ago and the pro bono program was involved with that committee. I get calls from the SC Bar and CASA to serve as a guardian.

I understand you have a long history of pro bono. What other projects did you work on?

I used to work on the Pro Bono Auction and actually headed that up for several years. I volunteered for free legal clinics as a young lawyer, but mostly I have served as a guardian or have represented SSI claimants.

Do you find pro bono service rewarding?

My most rewarding cases have been the ones where I served as a child’s guardian. It is an incredible feeling to give them a voice.

Have you found any surprises through your pro bono service?

I have learned that people are truly thankful for the assistance that you give them. You are usually their last hope.

Any words of wisdom for law students or other attorneys re: pro bono?

I would like to tell students and lawyers alike that doing pro bono work always brings me as much joy as the person I helped. It reminds me what a difference our profession can make.

For the public, this event offers a special evening of celebration and a chance to meet some passionate disability advocates with a presentation by Samuel Bagenstos. And the reception is free. Registration is required however.

Both these events offer a wonderful opportunity to celebrate 20 years of the ADA! Please join us in the celebration!

On Monday Night, WLTX became ground zero for ASK-A-LAWYER. We arrived in time to start and learned that the calls had started as early as 4:30 p.m. Once we were shown our call-center, we started answering phones “Ask-A-Lawyer, how may I help you?” while our web counter-parts began their online-duty.

The phones were ringing non-stop. WLTX graciously provided us with water and chocolate; both of which were appreciated. Darci Strickland and Andrea Mock interviewed us during the session and helped us maintain our energy with their enthusiasm. And at the end of the evening, JR Berry dropped by to thank us for our hard work.

Edna Primus and Tana Vanderbilt field questions

Caller Origin:

18 of my 30 calls originated from Richland County;

1 from Fairfield;

1 from Florence;

1 from Greenwood;

2 from Kershaw;

3 from Lexington;

3 from Orangeburg; and

1 from Sumter.

Mind you, I had 30 calls total in a 2 1/2 hour span and I even took a moment off the phones for an interview.

Caller Issues:

6 questions about Divorce/Alimony

5 Child Support/Child Custody and Visitation/Adoption

4 Consumer Law including Bankruptcy

3 Wills and Estates

2 Employment

2 Medical Malpractice/Health Care

1 Social Security

1 Landlord/Tenant

1 Homeowners Associations

1 Immigration

1 Traffic Laws

1 question about Taxes; and

2 non-legal questions.

Ask-A-Lawyer also included the “web-chat” piece. Three attorneys (Peter M. Balthazor, K. Cameron Currie, and Jennifer L. Locklier) fielded web questions during the same time.

All in all, it was a busy time, but I enjoyed every caller and hope that they felt that they had received a worthy service from us. I will DEFINITELY do this again.

Thanks to SC Bar staff Deborah Morris who coordinates the event, Joey Heape who insures that the web equipment functioned properly, and Elizabeth Martin who popped in for a few photos.

And special thanks to our host station, WLTX. You helped us make this a success!

-NOSY WHEELER

LATE PS – I wish I had asked the name of the camera operator at our station because he was an absolute delight. When he saw us running out of water, he brought the new bottle to us. Thank you Camera Operator!

Hurricane season is here! (June 1-November 30)

A hurricane can have potentially long lasting and devastating effects if you are caught unprepared. It is not difficult to take steps before a hurricane hits to protect you and your home, but dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane when you did not prepare can be a long painful process. Don’t wait until a hurricane is on its way toward your home town; take the time now to secure the safety of you and your family so you are not caught off-guard by a hurricane this season. In South Carolina, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division is a great place to start to prepare for a disaster.

Make sure your roof is securely fastened to the frame structure of your home.

Trim trees and shrubs.

Clean out rain gutters and downspouts.

If you have a boat, secure it.

Build or determine which room in your house is the most secure in case of an emergency.

Make copies of your personal records including Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, Passport, etc. Give the copies to relatives in another state or keep them stored electronically where they can be accessed from anywhere.

Families that are displaced due to hurricane might have problems finding employment. The Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program gives assistance through unemployment benefits. You cannot be eligible for these benefits if you already receive unemployment. Visit their website for eligibility requirements.